My Old Friend
by Tempest2004
Summary: Set After TMR. Ardeth reflects on his relationship with Horus. Song-fic to Tim McGraws 'My Old Friend'. First Mummy fic. Please R&R!


Okay, my first Mummy fic. I came up with this while listening to my Tim McGraw CD, 'Live Like You Were Dying'. This is the first in a few short Mummy fics. This is also for My Old Friend, my dog Madison. Enjoy!

Ardeth sat in his tent and looked sadly as Horus' old perch. He remembered getting the young Falcon for his 16th birthday. Right before he got his horse, Amon...

"He's mine?" the young Medjai gently stroked the birds feather's. His father, Arlin Bay, nodded with a smile.

"Yes, son. But you must exercise him everyday, clear or cloudy, though there aren't many of those." his father chuckled.

"Right now okay?" the young man asked eagerly, his father laughed and nodded. Being careful, Ardeth walked outside and his best friend Baltan walked carefully up, so as not to scare the young bird.

"What's his name?"

"Hourus." Ardeth replied promptly, not knowing why, but the name fit...

_My old friend I recall,  
_

_The time we had, hanging on my wall,  
_

_I wouldn't trade them for gold,  
_

_Cause they laugh me and they cry me and  
_

_Somehow sanctify me,  
_

_And they're woven in the stories I have told  
_

_And tell again_

The training was hard and long, but well worth it the first time Horus came when called. He grew fast, as young things tend to. Ardeth trained with him on Amon's back and on the ground. Teaching him to carry messages was easy, but going to the right person was harder.

"No, you silly bird. You fly to Baltan, not me." Ardeth scolded lightly and launched the bird again. Then laughed as he landed on Baltan all right, but not on his arm, his head. Baltan rolled his eyes at a laughing Ardeth and his crazy bird.

_My old friend, I apologize  
_

_For the years that have passed,  
_

_Since you and I, dusted off those memories,  
_

_But the runnin' and the races and the  
_

_People and the places  
_

_There was always somewhere else I had to be.  
_

_And time gets thin my old friend.  
_

_Don't know why, don't know why  
_

_Don't know why, don't know why  
__  
_

Ardeth never forgot his first thought when he heard the gun shot in Ahm Shere.

'No!' he screamed in his mind.

"Hourus!" he nearly screamed, mind reeling in shock, anger and grief over the lose of the his friend.

_My old friend, this song's for you,  
_

_A few simple verses was the least I could do,  
_

_To tell the world, that you were here,  
_

_For the love and the laughter,  
_

_Will live on long after,  
_

_All of the sadness and the tears  
_

_And we'll meet again my old friend._

Ardeth remembered the rage and grief he felt when he saw Loch-Nah's eyes, that told him he shot Hourus. For a few moments, anger overwhelmed him and he struck with all that anger and grief he had felt when he knew Hourus was dead. He killed Loch-Nah and felt the gun barrel in his back. He gasped when he heard the gun shot, he realized he wasn't dead, the soldier was dead instead. He looked up at the cliff and saw Jonathan with the rifle, a brief smile passed his face when he saw Ardeth, who quickly saulted, retraced his footsteps to Izzy, got on the dirigble and flew to the commanders.

"Where is Hourus?" His father asked, Ardeth's head bowed for a moment. Arlin placed a hand on his son's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, my son. But he is with Allah now."

"True, Father. Shall we see if we can put these dogs in there places?" he asked, trying to be light hearted

"Let's, now where's your mother's cat when we need it?" Arlin asked, making a rare joke. Ardeth chuckled.

"Exactly."...

Ardeth's father was dead and the Army of Anubis was coming, again.

"I'll be there soon, my old friend."

His head whipped around as the dust came at them.

A shout rose from him and his men when they realized what happened.

'Maybe not now, but I will see you again, my friend.' he thought silently as he and Amon raced towards Ahm Shere. They reached it in time to see the O'Connell's, Izzy and Jonathan fly away. Rick waved and Ardeth waved back and blessed them.

"_Allah hunamabeck_." (?) he said and reared Amon.

He could hear his father asking, "You just had to do that, didn't you?"

"I couldn't help myself." Ardeth replied, knowing his father could hear him.

"Okay, no more movies in Cairo for you. Now go home." he said, Ardeth laughed aloud, turned Amon and headed home. More than to ready to sit on something that wasn't moving...

_Goodbye, goodbye  
_

_Goodbye, goodbye  
_

_My old friend._

"He's with your Mother and I, son. Don't worry, we'll wait for you." Arlin Bay said, watching his son from heaven...

The End.


End file.
